As Shi Lian asked Xu Duan to keep an eye on the tattooed man, he had made sure to never leave from his sight.

Shi Lian is on the call with him. "I got the report yesterday night. So he hasn't decided to leave the country yet?" she questions, looking at the corner of the desk randomly.

Xu Duan answers from the other line. "Yes. He is still at his house at North-East district."

Shi Lian thinks maybe the man has no intention of leaving the country in the first place since he has no idea who is stalking him. This can be good for her but she cannot wait for too long. She has to meet him and ask questions directly.

"Keep doing your work and notify me if you find something unusual," she tells him.

"Will do" with that the man ends the call and she gets back to her work. Fang Xiao enters at the moment.

Shi Lian glances at her and finds something wrong. Usually, Fang Xiao is cheery and there's always a smile on her face but today she appears dull.

"Miss Shi Lian, here are the papers you asked for," she says in a robotic tone, very unlike her.

Shi Lian scrutinizes. "Did something happened?"

The question made Fang Xiao look up at her face, a surprised expression etches on her face. "No no, Miss Shi Lian. I apologize if I was being lethargic" she denies it and says sorry instead.

This made Shi Lian more curious. "Xiaoxiao, you can share with me. Don't think that because I am your boss, you cannot tell your feelings to me. If your mood is ruined, mine will be too" she tries to cheer her up.

"It's nothing, Miss Shi Lian. Just some family crises" Fang Xiao tells, forcing a smile but the smile does not reach the corner of her eyes.

Shi Lian feels she is not telling her the truth but she does not force her further. "Alright then" she takes the papers which Fang Xiao brought earlier and flips the pages, lightly reading each one of them. "Have you told the Vice President to prepare the draft? " she asks her secretary without looking up.

Fang Xiao nods faintly, "Yes. I did. She said it will be done today itself."

"Good."

"I know it's not worth asking but what about JJ?" Shi Lian asks. Even though she knows JJ will probably do anything that she will ask him to, still she thinks maybe he will drop his weird act and be the normal money monster.

"I gave the draft to him yesterday. As usual, he took it giving me a cold look and I left the office. I don't know if he did or not."

"I guess I have to talk things out with him" Shi Lian sighs, arranging the papers in order and putting it inside a file. "You can go now" she dismisses her.

Fang Xiao leaves the office, closing the door from her behind.

After she is done with her work, she will need to meet with JJ. If she does not clear things with him, it might become something big that will cause harm to her and the company.

**

"May I come in?" Shi Lian asks jokingly. Noticing her standing at the door, JJ rise from his seat abruptly and says, "Please do. You don't need to ask that, Chairwoman."

Shi Lian enters and JJ offers her to take a seat. It's the first time for her to see him panicking just by the look of her. Is he scared of her?

"What brings you here?" he asks, still standing.

Shi Lian tells him to take his seat as well. After that, she brings both her hand forward and crosses her palm together on the glass desk. She looks at him and asserts, "I had to come here because we need to talk. You have been acting unusual for some weeks and I cannot understand the change of yours. I haven't said anything to you earlier but now it's getting out of line. You are not even doing the work or the page work that I give you. What's the reason for your indifference?"

She can tell by the look on his face that he is dealing with something which he does not want to share. He cannot even look at her. His eyes remain lower and he keeps on gritting his teeth.

"You now refuse to talk?" Shi Lian questions, trying to make him talk. "Are you going through some tight shift?"

"No, I am not" he speaks but his eyes remain lower. Why can't he look at her? "You can punish me for my rude behavior earlier. I'll give the paperwork to you by tomorrow."

Woah. Did she hear it right? Did he apologize? And he even said he will do the work? Shi Lian is surely surprised but she keeps her face neutral.

"I'm glad you apologized. As your punishment, you just need to do the paperwork and attend four meetings which have been delayed."

He nods. Shi Lian should feel relieved that he is back to normal but something isn't right here. "Are you well? Here have some water" she offers him a glass of water and he takes it with his hands shaking. He gulps the whole glass and puts it back on the desk.

"JJ, you don't look well," Shi Lian says, getting worried about him.

"I am good" he states, his voice hoarse. He hasn't even smiled since she entered.

Shi Lian wants to ask him but bim being this reserved makes her irritate. "Fine then. I'll be leaving you with your work now."

She opens the door and she is stepping out, JJ stops her. "Be safe and careful" he says, and when she turns around to look at him, his serious eyes give her shiver down her spine.

"What do you mean?" she asks, confused.

"The more power you will have, the more enemies you will make" he states, almost in a chilling voice.

Shi Lian cannot understand a single thing he said. She feels uncomfortable so he decides to leave. As he walks to her office, JJ's words roam inside her mind. What did he mean by more enemies and more power?

Why does everyone around her have to be mysterious? Why can't they say things in simple words? Why twist them?

She stops on her way, a thought coming to her. She hasn't seen her uncle and JJ together. Are they over now? If they are, she is glad. But wait, what if JJ is trying to tell her that someone is going to hurt her? Maybe he knows something. He definitely knows something but is unable to tell her.

God, she is not even finished with dealing with her uncle yet, now there's a new one? She never thought being the Chairperson would be this difficult.